Ryū no Monogatari
by dwave
Summary: This is a story about the intertwining fates between the residents of Gensokyo and the Highest God of Creation, Dragon.
1. 一 Ryū no Monogatari

**Prologue**

Gensokyo, the Land of Illusion and Dreams, an originally desolate, haunted region of Japan ages ago. The Youkai that lived there began to terrorize the surrounding lands, and thus powerful, heroic humans were sent to exorcise and exterminate them. The off and on battle between humans and Youkai continued on until 1884 A.D., when Gensokyo was sealed off from this increasingly scientific and skeptical world with the creation of the Hakurei Border. There has been little contact between those societies ever since. Today, the only known gateway between Gensokyo and this world is the Hakurei Shrine, which stands in isolation along the border on distant mountains of the far east.

Gensokyo is populated mainly by Youkai, but a decent human and rabbit population lives there as well. Some of its inhabitants went there to hide, to escape, to find shelter when no one and nowhere else would accept them. Many of them just like the natural darkness.

This story you're about to experience is a story about the intertwining fates of the residents of Gensokyo with the highest God of Creation, Dragon. Based from Perfect Memento, it is believed that he lived anywhere and he looks like a serpent with hands and horns. He was also said to be last seen during the Creation of the Great Hakurei Barrier. Both humans and Youkai alike worship him because of his capability to create and destroy anything.

. . .

**Introduction : The Request**

"Say, Ryuji..." a girl's voice broke the silence of the calm afternoon.

"What is it, Marisa?" the blond teenager replied, folding both hands behind his head as he lay down and uninterestedly gaze up at the ceiling of the Hakurei Shrine; taking a moment before averting his sight to the blond-haired Witch sitting beside him with her Witch hat upon her lap.

"You said you lived a pretty harsh life before moving to Gensokyo, ze? Why don't cha tell us 'bout it? It's not like we're goin' to judge ya or somthin'," Marisa replied, a grin already decorating her pink lips as she looked at the Shrine Maiden, "Don't cha want to hear it too, Reimu?"

"I would be lying if I tell you two I'm not interested," the Shrine Maiden replied before sipping her tea from the cup that she held with both hands, "But I'm not going to push it."

"I'll count that as a 'Yes' then," Marisa replied with a sweat drop, before letting the previous grin decorate her lips again as she peered at the boy who's practically laying upon the wooden floor of the Hakurei Shrine, "Come on, spit it out."

"If you insist."

The image of an almost abandoned hallway filled with several bodies - all of it wet with fishy red liquid - start resurfacing inside the boy's mind - almost as clear as if the heartbreaking event happened just yesterday. Closing those dark eyes of his, the boy speaks:

"Blood. There was blood."

. . .

**Falling Apart World**

That day, minutes ago, the dark-haired girl was standing on the corner of the hallway; trying to shrink herself in fear as the blond-haired boy in front of him stand limp, panting and closing one of his eyes as a trickle of blood flowing down beside it.

The bullies in front of them laughed at the sight, one of them raising the stuntgun on his hand; causing the small device to buzz and let out a spark of electricity from it. "You sure have some guts," he said, "But you're outnumbered. If you're being cooperative from the start, it doesn't have to end like this."

"Doesn't make any difference to me," the blond teenager replied, pushing himself to stand straight hardly - the hit on his head from the wooden block starting to make him feel dizzy - "I bet you would treat her all the same."

"Judging from your condition, you managed to sound tough," the leader of the bullies said, unexpectedly moving forward from his previous spot which's hidden behind his henchmen, "But I don't think that would be long. Get him, boys! But don't touch the girl. She's mine."

Instinctively moving forward after hearing that, the blond teenager almost instantly got cast aside - there were dozen of them, but he stood alone; defending the girl behind him from the bullies that were hoping to have a chance to "Meet and Greet" her like she's some sort of artist. But no - he's well aware of what they're after.

The boy now lying down at the cold ground; the surge of electricity that ran down through his body just a moment ago swallowed his last energy - sending him into his knees before letting one of his cheeks kiss the ground in an almost dramatical manner. All he could do was watching helplessly from his spot - imagining what the bullies going to do to the girl as they're only a step away from her now shivering body.

All hope's lost. That's what he thought. Not until a single voice call from the depths of his mind - leaving him barely conscious before everything within sight blend into the familiar darkness.

. . .

**Inverted World**

The boy opened his eyes, practically widening it in surprise as he found himself floating in mid-air. It took seconds before he finally managed to regain his composure; leaving him somehow standing; still in mid-air, but a calm and composed expression reigning over his face.

"So this is the first time we see each other, ei?" a single voice caused the blond teenager to turn around to find another teenager with striking resemblance to himself (only with dark hair and black, slit pupils) standing a few feet away from him; also in mid-air, "Welcome to the Inverted World."

"Who are you?"

"I am what you, humans, called 'Natural Instinct'," the other teenager replied, showing an eerie grin that caused the blond teenager to shudder in uneasiness, "But nevertheless, you could consider me as something that could be called... 'Inner Conscience'. In a way, of course."

("Humans...?") - the blond teenager thought, "What do you want?"

"Well, consider this as an offer. A kind gift. The Take-It-Or-Leave-It kind of offer," the other teenager grinned, "Say, the girl that's standing behind 'cha. You fought so hard for her before you ended here. What's she for you? Why'd you gave your best shot just to help her?"

"You wouldn't understand, she-"

"Understand you? Care about you?" the other teenager replied with a snort, as if trying to hold back his laughter from bursting out, "What made you so sure about that? You barely know her. It's only been three weeks since the first time you talked to each other."

The blond teenager turned away. ("He's right. I barely know her.") - he thought as hesitation attempting to reign over his mind, ("But I can't just-").

"But~" the other teenager said almost too suddenly, leaving the blond teenager in the verge of almost jumping back in surprise, "If you think that I'm going to complain about it, you're damn... pretty damn wrong. Instead, I'll be kind so I'll just get straight to the point. That girl what talked about? What do you want to do about her? What do YOU want?"

"... I want to help her."

"Beg yer pardon?"

"I want to protect her," the blond teenager repeated, louder than before, "I want the strength to protect her. To be strong, that no one would dare to hurt her."

"Strength, ei?" the other teenager replied as he extend one hand to gaze down at his fingernails in a teasing way, "You sure about what you just said? YOU want STRENGTH to protect that girl from those lots?"

"... I could repeat that if you want."

"No need to!" the other teenager raised the previous hand with the palm facing the blond teenager; a clear indirect sign that only has one meaning: "NO".

"Your wish is my command," the other teenager said after a moment of silence, simply grinning before clapping his hands in a taunting manner, "And speaking of which, I think you got someone to visit, ei? You better hurry up if you don't want someone end up swallowing her."

Just after hearing that, the blond teenager could feel his body getting lighter and lighter - it took seconds for him to realize that his body was turning transparent and it's as if his feet already merging with thin air; leaving disembodied torso complete with head and arms floating in mid-air.

"Let me ask you, one last thing," the blond teenager said, earning him the other teenager's attention, "Is this for real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"

The other teenager grunted, clearly failing on his attempt to hold back his laughter, "Of course this is happening inside your head, you idiot. But why the hell should that mean this isn't real?"

. . .

**The Dragon Awakened**

The boy opened his eyes hesitantly. The scene in front of him was still the same, it didn't change even the slightest bit as if someone already frozen the time and waited until he was back to consciousness to put the scene back to life.

He didn't understand what's going on, but his head was numb. Something was stinging the insides of his head, so painful that it pushed his brain back into the right place - rendering him back to his conscious a bit too fast for his liking. But there was also something else. Something that's also stinging the insides of his head. Like a stimulant that pushed himself to stand straight despite his body was already worn out from the earlier fight.

He couldn't understand it at first. But the moment he understand it, it was already too late.

It was rage. Blind rage.

The moment he snapped back into his consciousness, he was looking into the same, but stained red hallway. Red liquid all over the face, as if someone tried to paint the walls with that but end up spilling it all over the place. The smell of the red liquid stung his nose in the most unlikely manner. And then he realized. It was BLOOD.

He was on his knees. He didn't understand why. He raised both of his hands, but he couldn't see it. His eyes were looking at what appears to be a pair of talons - dark red and stained with fresh blood. Unable to believe what he's seeing, the boy shifted his attention into something else - almost instinctively sighing in relief at the sight of the girl who's cowering at the same spot at the end of the hallway. Some of her limbs were stained with the very same red liquid that stained his supposed-to-be hands, but she didn't seem to mind it.

Crawling his way to the spot where the girl's cowering, the blond teenager was about to raise a hand before a single scream from the girl refrained him from moving even further, "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!"

That very moment, unwanted memories started piercing his mind. The memory of him stabbing, ripping, whatever possible to turn a person into minced meat - it's all flowing into his mind. Tears unconsciously forming at the edge of his eyes, flowing down silently through his blood stained cheek as he looked to the side - his older brother was there, at the other side of the hallway, panting and widening his eyes in shock.

His words leaving his now dry throat. He didn't know what to do. And everything seem to darken once again...

. . .

"Strength, ei? I don't think that's the kind of wise decision that one would make. But what can I say? It's the moral of the story for all of you, duckies. Yeah, you. YOU. The one who's looking at the monitor with dumb expression on your face. Haha, don't be mad. I didn't mean it. But you understand, do you? Be careful for what you wish for, because it might turn worse than you expected."


	2. 二 Ryū no Monogatari

**Liar Liar Liar**

"You lied."

"Beg yer pardon?"

"You lied to me."

"When? I only said 'Welcome back to the Inverted World'. That's all. When did-"

The words coming to a stop. The blond teenager was already grabbing into the other teenager's collar in an attempt to threaten him. Unfortunately, that doesn't end just like what he wanted. The other teenager grinned, "What's this all about now?"

"You said you're my Inner Conscience! How could you-"

"Let her call you a Monster? What? You want me to rip her to pieces too now?"

The blond teenager widened his eyes in surprise, instinctively sending a fist towards the other teenager's face; resulting the later to block it with one hand effortlessly. "Not so fast, kiddo," the other teenager replied, with the same eerie grin as before, "Besides, why are you so pissed? I granted your wish. Don't tell me that you're the kind that would never be satisfie-"

"Stop fooling around! You understand clearly what I'm talking about!" the blond teenager shouted; resulting the eerie grin upon the other teenager's feature to practically widen in amusement, "Those talons? What are those? How did I... how did you..."

"Just like what I've told you. I'm your Natural Instinct. But I also told you that you could consider me as your Inner Conscience. But of course... the later, the Inner Conscience one, it's just self-proclaimed," the other teenager replied with a snort, an attempt to hold back his laughter, "I didn't ask you to believe me, right?"

"So you lied?"

"Judging from how the things turned out - well, more amusing than what I expected - yes, I lied. You didn't ask me to be honest either. So don't blame me for your foolishness."

The blond teenager dropped into his knees. Despair start reigning over his mind. What had he done? "Just... just what are you?" the blond teenager looked up at the other teenager desperately.

"Just like what I've told you," the other teenager replied almost instantly, "I am what you call Natural Instinct."

"What Natural Instinct? Don't kidding me!" the blond teenager shouted, his voice filled with complete despair as he sink his head down, his whole body trembling, "How could a human wield a Natural Instinct like tha-"

"Human? Now, just what the heck are you talking about?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Human? Human? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the other teenager laughed maniacally, "What, now you want to kill me by making me laughing too much? Man, it's hilarious! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I... I don't understand-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Isn't it so damn obvious?" the other teenager shouted between his laughter, "You're not a human! Or should I say... not anymore! HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!"

So that's why? That's why his hands turned into talons and he ripped all those who threatened himself and his friends? His acts were based upon instincts alone. He hurt, not to mention, killed those who delinquents. He turned them from living people into pieces of minced meat.

REMORSE. And LAUGHTER. It's filling his head. He can't get it off of his mind. It's echoing against everything that could be placed inside his head. In the verge of trying to get rid of the regret and the sound of laughter, he found himself close... really close to vomiting.

And so, he cried in despair: "THEN TAKE IT BACK! I DON'T WANT IT! I DON'T NEED IT!"

. . .

**Beast on the Prowl**

"What'd 'cha said?"

"I said take it..." the blond teenager replied, his whole body trembling as looked up at the other teenager in front of him, "Take it, I don't need it. I don't want it."

"... that's touching, really," the other teenager replied with the same eerie grin stamped upon his lips as he ran a hand through his hair, "But as you probably know, that's impossible."

"Why? You gave it to me, didn't you? Why can't you just take it back?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now I'm starting to doubt that you have a brain or not," the other teenager replied before letting out a sigh along with a shrug, "But I guess you have a point. Then let me tell you two things. First of all... I DIDN'T gave you the power. It's already inside you. But it's just asleep, so I awoke it. You were craving for it, it can't be helped, right?"

"What do you mean it's already-"

"SECONDLY," the other teenager continued, almost as if trying to shut the blond teenager down with his loud speech, "As a part of yourself and with me being your Natural Instinct... don't you think I ALSO already have that power from the start?"

That very moment, the blond teenager widened his eyes at the thing that's occurring him. Fingers growing longer. Fingernails also growing longer and sharpening. Bones cracking. Hands growing a bit larger and turned bulkier. The moment he dared himself to blink, his other self already standing behind him with his very own talons raised high into the air.

"Don't you understand what you wished for now? You are nothing, but a MONSTER."

He didn't understand what's going on, but it felt like what happened to him before. His whole head was numb. The insides of his head twisting. His brain was pounding. Both of his hands that he used to hold the sides of his head trembling. His stomach twist, moving him close... very, very close to vomiting.

He closed his eyes and it was there again, dragging him away from the limit of his consciousness. BLIND RAGE.

. . .

**Gaol Named Remorse**

"... ni.."

"..."

"... Ryu.. nii..."

"H-Huh...?"

"Ryu-nii? Ryu-nii!"

The blond teenager snapped back to reality; receiving a hug from his little sister as a greeting for waking up from his slumber. Blinking several times in a confused manner, the blond teenager sighed. Extending one hand, the blond teenager paused in the middle of his movement as he remembered that his hands were supposed to be talons. Giving a quick look at his extended hand, the blond teenager finally sighed in relief. It's already back to normal, somehow. He then used it to rub the back of his little sister's head, who's practically crying against his shoulder.

He turned to the side. His older brother was there, sitting upon the chair on the opposite side of where his little sister was supposed to be sitting. His expression didn't change, but he's clearly showing a sign of relief now that the blond teenager was already awake.

"Nii-san... I..."

"No need to say anything. You need to rest. You could save your blabbing to me for later, once you're fully recovered. For now, just rest. You need it, Ryuji. You deserve it."

The blond teenager fell into a pit of silence. He didn't know what to say. He didn't understand what he's supposed to say. His throat was dry. His words once again leaving him. But unbeknownst to him, tears once again formed at the edge of his eyes, taking no time before silently flowing down to his cheek.

"Ryu-nii?"

"Nii-san... Ai.." the blond teenager cried silently, gripping the blanket over his feet with one hand as he looked down, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... it's just..."

His older brother got up from his seat, walking passed the bed only to place his hand upon his little sister's shoulder.

"Nii-sama?"

His older brother shook his head. His little sister remained silent before giving a nod, looking at the blond teenager once again before pulling herself back; walking towards the door along with her oldest brother.

"Listen, Ryuji..." his older brother said once they reach the door, looking back at him with a pained expression upon his features, "I won't blame you for what happened. But you too must remember, that you're not an innocent regarding what happened. You're the one who did it, but because they were supposed to be fugitives, polices covered it. They made it as if it was just an accident. They closed their eyes upon you because you helped them... in a way."

"Nii-san... I-"

"Remorse is important, Ryuji. Life is precious. We will be outside just in case you need us, but for now, we will leave you alone."

And the blond teenager sat there, alone. Upon his hospital bed. Gazing tearfully at the door that was already closed. What had he done? Did he really deserve it like this? Sinking his head into his knees, the blond teenager shook his head. He didn't understand. He just didn't know anymore.

. . .


	3. 三 Ryū no Monogatari

**Hole In My Heart**

"Ryu-nii?"

"..."

"Ryu-nii?"

"... hmm?"

"Ryu-nii!"

"...? W-What?"

Chuckling weakly, the blond teenager shifted his attention to the side - because of the fact that he was gazing blankly at the darkening blue sky above him for minutes at first; now looking at his little sister who's puffing her cheek, obviously sulking.

"Ahh! You're not even paying attention, Ryu-nii!"

"I'm sorry, Ai... I was thinking about something."

The blond teenager didn't really know what to say. If someone's asking him to be honest, he's been like that for approximately two days; ever since he got back from the hospital. ("Do I really deserve something like this? Am I really allowed to continue my life just like this as if nothing happened?") - he thought, letting out a sigh as he put both hands to the side of his head, ("I don't understand. I can't understand. I can't shake it off of my mind. Why? Why did I-?").

"Ryuji?"

The sound of another voice snapped the blond teenager out of his thought. The blond teenager looked up, finding that his older brother now standing only a few feet away from him.

"... what is it, Nii-san?"

"Come along with me. Sorry, Ai. But I'm going to borrow Ryuji just for a moment. We'll be back in time for dinner."

"What? Even Nii-sama is-"

"Ai, I'm sorry. But this is important."

"... alright. Be sure that you're back in time for dinner. If you're late, I'm not going to cook anything for tomorrow's breakfast."

"Wow, that's harsh. Oh, well~ Come on, Ryuji."

"... alright."

The blond teenager nodded, getting up from his seat and heading out of the living room; getting out of the house along with older brother.

"Nii-san, what's this all about-"

"Just come along with me for now, Ryuji. Like what I said to Ai, it's important. But putting that aside, it's regarding about what happened days ago. THAT day, Ryuji."

The blond teenager widened his eyes.

"... I understand."

("So it's all about me turning into some sort of monster, huh?") - the blond teenager thought; closing his eyes in the process, ("I knew it. I knew that this day would eventually come. Even HE said that I'm nothing but a monster..."). The blond teenager sighed, ("But then again... what did he mean by saying that the power was already inside me from the start? That he didn't gave it to me but-").

"Oh, right. Before we get going... is there something, anything that you wish to tell me regarding what happened? Something in detail?"

"... no." the blond teenager shook his head, "... I have none, Nii-san."

. . .

**Intention**

"Where are we, Nii-san?"

"Abandoned yard on the side of this city," his older brother replied, looking around before finally giving a nod and then turning around to face the blond teenager, "At this time, I doubt no one would come around. I'm pretty sure that no one would see what we're about to do. Well, you better suit yourself, Ryuji."

"What do you mean, Nii-san? What-"

The blond teenager stopped his words halfway. His head was tingling. His brain was pounding once again and in disbelief, he looked up at his older brother.

"You probably couldn't hear this very clearly, Ryuji. But to be honest, I have a power as well even though it's limited. I let out a supersonic scream just after we arrive here, it's inaudible to humans' ears but I suppose strong enough to make someone unconscious."

The blond teenager narrowed his eyes. His vision and his hearing were betraying him. "Nii-san... why?"

"The blood that gave me this power... it's the very same blood that's also flowing inside your body, Ryuji. If you're not going to learn to control your power, you'll end up as nothing more than a Beast. If you didn't know how to learn it, then I'll be the one to teach about it. I'm sorry for not telling you from the start, but for now you better suit yourself. It's going to be rough."

The blond teenager blinked for the last time; his body was already being supported by the hands of his older brother. He closed his eyes. His older brother's words were already inaudible to him. He couldn't hear his older brother telling him to be strong and prepare for what's going to happen. He surrendered himself... and everything was dark.

. . .

"Well, well, well... what should I say?" the teenager said, standing up from his spot and approaching the newcomer with an eerie grin placed upon his lips, "Welcome back to the Inverted World? Nice to see ya again. Seems like ya never get bored visiting this place, uh?"

"..."

"... hey, you're surprisingly silent, aren't you?" the teenager arched his eyebrow, making it as if he's disappointed with the blond teenager's reaction, "Meh, whatever. Hey, to come and think of it... you come just in the right time!"

"... in the right time?"

"Yup. Just in time~"

"... the right time for what?"

"For me to take over, of course!" the teenager creepily laughed, "That remorse of yours starting to bug me. And besides, it's not like you're able to keep going like this as well."

"... you mean, just like the time where you ripped those people into pieces of meat?"

"You got quite a memory, don't 'cha?" the teenager arched an eyebrow in amusement, "But I suppose you could say it as something like that. I'm your 'Natural Instinct', it's just normal for me to take over, right?"

The blond teenager widened his eyes. How did it turn into something like this? But true to what the other teenager said, he's almost unable to take it anymore. Remorse that came from killing. It's not even trying to get out of his mind that he almost think he's going crazy.

But if he let him take over, wouldn't it be just the same like the last time? Wouldn't this 'Natural Instinct' of his goes berserk the moment he let it take over? The blond teenager shook his head, "No."

"... you sure about what you just said?"

"Yeah... if I let you take over, I don't want what to repeat what happened last time."

"You're pretty bold, aren't you? Oh well..." the teenager sighed before shaking his head in disappointment - extending both of his hands to the side only to allow it transforming into a pair of talons, "If I can't ask you nicely, then violence would be the best answer, right?"

The blond teenager widened his eyes. And there was blinding light. Along with silence.

. . .

"You must overcome your 'Instinct', Ryuji. I experienced the same thing too when my power awakened. The blood flowing inside your body caused this thing to happen, almost very similar to what happened to me three years ago. Because of the power flowing inside our blood, our 'Natural Instinct' lead us to destruction. And to prevent that from happening, we have to overcome it. You cannot lose, Ryuji. You must not lose."

. . .


	4. 四 Ryū no Monogatari

**Dark Side of the Universe **

("I can't move... the wounds.. they're too severe...")

"So... have you consider giving up?" the eerie voice led the blond teenager to shift his sight upward, where the dark-haired teenager could be seen holding his claws up; giving the blond teenager his middle finger while keeping the eerie grin upon his lips, "It wouldn't be nice if I need to rip you into minced meats just so you'd give up, isn't it?"

"You're wasting your time..." the blond teenager pushed himself to talk, trying his best to ignore the pain coming from the wound near his stomach, "I already told you... that I won't give myself up. You could try everything, but I won't give myself up..."

Silence.

"Well, I expected that you would say something like that crap..." the dark-haired teenager replied with a shrug, giving another eerie grin to the blond teenager before adding: "It seems that you're still a brat that knows nothing, huh?"

Getting into one of his knees beside the blond teenager, the dark-haired teenager then extend one hand; placing it upon the blond teenager's head, "I should've thought about doing this from the start."

The blond teenager widened his eyes. Even if it's just for a split second, he could feel his sight shaken. The remaining energy inside his body betraying him. He could hardly feel his limbs, leaving him almost immobile towards everything.

"The two of us... we're like 'Light' and 'Dark'..." the dark-haired teenager stated, "Without you, I couldn't be complete. But without me, you're not your whole self as well. The core of our abilities is blood. The blood that's flowing inside your body... it's the very same blood that's also flowing inside my body. If I suck your blood along with YOU, it'd be enough to make you stuck and leaving you able to do nothing against me."

"You're facing a world of NO FUTURE, Monster," the dark-haired teenager added with a laugh, "Be aware of that. And it's just a matter of time until you're giving yourself up completely to me."

...

**The World of No Future : Crush the World Down**

"NO."

"What..?" the dark-haired teenager widened his eyes in surprise, almost instantly pulling his extended back to give a look at it; realizing that it's much thinner than a normal arm would be - leading him to look into the blond teenager in front of him in sheer surprise. ("It reacted backward..?") - the dark-haired teenager thought, ("Where did he-")

"... I have people that I want to protect.. there are people who protected me..." the blond teenager stated as he push himself up, "There are those that I should ask for forgiveness. My remorse wouldn't come to a stop if I give myself up. But if I defeat you..."

"Meh. So basically, you're saying that if you defeat me, then your remorse would come to a stop? Blaming me for everything that happened?" the dark-haired teenager mocked, "That's one smart thought coming from you, brat. But do you have enough strength to do it?"

Letting out a small sigh, the blond teenager almost instantly having both of his hands extended. And in that instant, both of his hands transformed into a pair of claws - the same ones like the ones he used to butcher people a few days ago, "... if I can't ask you nicely, then I suppose violence is the best answer?"

"THAT'S MY LINE, YOU BRAT!"

...

**Solitary Dragon**

"Nii-sama, what happened to Ryu-nii? He's barely conscious when you brought him back home."

"... we met some delinquents along the way. And we ended up fighting them just to make them go away. I think one of them managed to hit him on the back of his head, so after we managed to get rid of them, he fainted."

"... Nii-sama?"

"What is it, Ai?"

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"... well, why would I lie to you?"

"I'm going to check on Ryu-nii. Maybe I could ask him what he want me to prepare for lunch."

The blond-haired female got up and head out of the living room, leaving the dark-haired male to gaze blankly upon the door that was left opened before slowly letting out a sigh. ("His mind was in the verge of shattered...") - the dark-haired male thought, ("I think I could say that he beat his 'Natural Instinct' just in time. But then again-")

A scream stopped the dark-haired male's train of thought almost abruptly, resulting to him standing up and head into the hallway of his house; where he could see his younger sister standing on the upon the highest staircase with widened eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong, Ai?"

"... there was a dragon..."

"A dragon? Ai, I wouldn't understand if you don't speak clearly!"

"There was a dragon... when I open Ryu-nii's bedroom door!"

Widening his eyes in surprise, the dark-haired male head upstairs; passing through his younger sister before barging through his younger brother's bedroom. A silhouette of a dragon could be seen for a moment, but after blinking his eyes, the dark-haired male could see nothing except a broken window in front of him.

There was nothing else except the incantation that's staining the wall.

"**化け物**"

. . .


	5. 五 Ryū no Monogatari

**Runaway Dragon**

("Without realizing... I got myself somewhere I don't know...") - the blond teenager thought, lowering his head as he leaned his body into the tree just behind him, ("This is one real mess... I was so desperate I don't even know what I was doing.. even Ai... she..")

Shaking the thought off of his head, the blond teenager let out a sigh. ("I'm not even sure of what to do in a time like this...") - the blond teenager thought before glancing up to look at the slowly darkening sky above him, ("But if I'm really going to lose myself just like what he told me... I need to find a place where I could prevent that from happening without hurting anyone.. I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me... not anymore..")

("... my body too... it doesn't feel like I'm a human anymore... I was only thinking to runaway and hide myself for the time being... and before realizing it, I already got lost within this forest.") - the blond teenager thought, ("... just what am I?")

Taking a deep breath before letting out a sigh in the end, the blond teenager pushed himself to stand up once again; forcing his bare feet to make it's way through the ocean of trees in front of him - eventually coming to a stop upon seeing the half-abandoned sign not so far in front of him. Getting himself closer to the sign, the blond teenager widened his eyes.

[ Mountain Fuji's Peak: Up Ahead ↑ ]

("... Mountain Fuji, huh..?") - the blond teenager thought before letting a somewhat relieved smile decorate his lips, ("I made my way from Akita into this Mountain Fuji just in a few minutes...? It doesn't even make sense..."). The blond teenager let out a sigh before using one hand to rub the sign beside him, ("But I suppose... this would be the best place to find out more about myself...")

"Nii-san... Ai... please forgive me.." the blond teenager said to himself, letting his bangs covering his eyes for a moment before swallowing his drool and stepped forward.

. . .

**Spirited Away : Mayohiga**

"_This world was designed so we would never be able to obtain what we want the most right away. Instead, we would simply obtain what we need the least almost very easily. Because of that, ever since we were little, we were always told to pray every single day... so that our feelings would reach the stars and we shall be taken into the Celestial Palace high in the Sky._"

. . .

The blond teenager stopped and turned his head around, as if hesitating for a moment. ("Was it just me...?") - the blond teenager thought, ("Or I'm really getting nowhere real fast...?"). Letting silence reign over the area around him for a moment, the blond teenager shrugged it off before resuming his journey towards the mountain peak.

. . .

"_One who does not think' can get pass the Hakurei Border that surrounds Gensokyo._"

. . .

The blond teenager's journey coming to a stop once again. His surroundings somehow transformed into nothing but mist; covering everything from his view. His inner senses were tingling, as if warning about something like an oncoming danger.

He doesn't even realize that a Shikigami taking the form of a yellow-eyed girl with short blond hair; wearing a hat, a pink two-tailed hat with many amulets, along with a blue and white outfit - leaving exactly nine fox tails spreading from her behind; already standing not so far behind him.

. . .

**Spirited Away II : The Border of Phantasm**

("Mist...") - the blond teenager thought, ("It's giving me an uneasy feeling... as if I'm being watched by someone...")

"My, my... it's very rare to have someone visiting Mayohiga, especially at a time like this," the voice of a female couldn't help but lead the blond teenager to almost instantly raise his guard, "What could you be doing here, young man?"

A dark golden -eyed woman with long blond hair, carrying a pink parasol and a fan at the other hand; wearing a pink and purple dress, along with a pink mop hat with a thin red ribbon tied in the front emerged from the mist - standing just right in front him, enough for him to look at her with widened eyes.

"Ah, please forgive me. Where are my manners?" the female giggled, causing the blond teenager to feel a slight feeling of uneasiness running through his body. Bowing lightly, the female then added: "I am the Mistress of Mayohiga, Yukari Yakumo."

("Yukari... Yakumo...") - the blond teenager repeated the name within his mind, ("... is it just me.. or is she really giving me the creeps? I'm feeling as if she's letting out a somewhat threatening atmosphere even though she's acting calm...")

"And your name would be...?"

"Ryuji..." the blond teenager replied hesitantly, "... Ryuji Nozaki."

"It's a pleasure to meet someone like you, Ryuji-kun.." Yukari replied with a giggle, "Now that we already know each other by name, would you be so kind to tell me what a YOUKAI like you could be doing in Mayohiga?"

The blond teenager widened his eyes in surprise, ("... Youkai?").

"Even though you're letting out such an ominous yet strong atmosphere... your expression's as if saying that you know nothing about it. My, Ryuji-kun... could it be that you're not a good liar?" Yukari giggled.

("Liar...? But I...")

Letting out a small sigh, Yukari pointed her fan at the blond teenager, "Even though I have to admit that I'm a bit surprised about the fact that you don't even know me... I actually wish that you would just be honest from the start. That way... I wouldn't have to force you to tell me, isn't it? I'm just hoping that you're not going to disappoint me now, alright?"

Before the blond teenager's able to answer, Yukari already opened her mouth: 「 Sinister Spirits: Double Black Death Butterfly 」

. . .


	6. 六 Ryū no Monogatari

**Shake Your Fear**

"He managed to get away..."

"Would you like me to chase him, Yukari-sama?" the Shikigami offered, "Considering his present condition and his wounds, he shouldn't be too far from the border of Mayohiga. Even if he managed to find a way out of Mayohiga to reach Gensokyo, it wouldn't be too difficult for me to drag him back here."

"Leave him be, Ran," Yukari replied, placing the fan upon one of her hands in front her mouth as she turned around and head deeper to the Mayohiga, "There's no need to trouble yourself by doing something like that. That child already made her move and the wheel of fate would only work under her command. I suppose she alone would be enough to handle him. All that's left to do is to make sure that nothing would go wrong."

"Are you sure, Yukari-sama?"

"Why are you getting so worked up about him, Ran?"

"It's just... it's making me feel uneasy to know that he managed to get away from you. Not to mention that he's-"

"Like what I said, there's no need to worry. Nothing at all."

"As you wish then, Yukari-sama."

. . .

("I barely made it...") - he thought as he made his way through the endless forest around him, panting every now and then as he put a hand to the side of his stomach and actually wincing in the process, ("I can't believe what just happened... that woman... she called me a Youkai... not to mention she tried to kill me as well... j-just what's been happening..?")

His steps came to a stop shortly, a result from his weakening consciousness. Realizing that his body's approaching the limit, the blond teenager leaned his back to the nearest tree in hope that it'd prevent his body from failing him. Unfortunately failing in the attempt, the blond teenager slid into the ground, letting out the last pant before slowly letting everything within sight to blend into the familiar darkness.

. . .

"You can't catch me, Reisen~" the earth rabbit shouted, giggling in delight as she once again managed to avoid her fellow rabbit, "Come on! Try harder!

"W-Wait, Tewi!" the moon rabbit replied with a pant, placing both hands upon her knees as she glanced around, trying to catch the sight of her friend, the rabbit of fortune, who just managed to get away from her, again, "I said wait!"

As the moon rabbit tried to make another attempt to chase after her fellow rabbit friend once again, her movements came to a stop almost too suddenly; as if realizing something around her went wrong the moment she decided to make her move. Gazing around hesitantly, the moon rabbit joined both hands in front of her chest as she took more steps forward; aware that she might encounter something unfamiliar on her way through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.

"Tewi~" she called again, "Come back here! Can't you feel anything from your place?"

The rabbit of good fortune stopped her giggling, letting her ears twitch a bit before she started to gaze around as well, "I.. I do! I-It's not like things I've encountered before! It's something different! Completely different from the residents of Gensokyo!"

"I know!" the moon rabbit replied, still gazing around hesitantly as she made her way to her friend's spot. She's not lying. After all, the atmosphere around that part of the forest somehow has turned a bit dense and somehow unfriendly. "It feels unfamiliar... and unfriendly too..." the moon rabbit added, "W-We should find the source quickly and report it to Master-"

"Re-Reisen, I found a body here..."

The moon rabbit widened her eyes, taking a moment of hesitation before making her way to her friend's spot; where beside her an unconscious body could be seen lying idly under a tree. "H-He must be the source of this unfamiliar and unfriendly atmosphere!" the moon rabbit said after a moment of examining the body's condition, actually letting out a somewhat relieved sigh when she found out that he's still alive, "It would be better if we take him back to Eientei so Master could take care of him. That way, it'd be easier for Master to get more information from him too when he's awake!"

. . .

**Edge of Silence**

"It seems that you really never get bored visiting this place when you're out cold, huh?" the other teenager said with a chuckle, somehow sitting in mid-air as he continued, "Well, I guess I'll never be bored to say this again as well. Welcome back to the Inverted World."

". . . . . . . . . . ."

"What? You're just as silent as that time," the other teenager said with an arched eyebrow, "Feeling guilty again after what happened? Feeling guilty that now you're meeting me despite the fact that you sliced me off before?"

"As much as I regret fighting you before..." the blond teenager replied slowly, "I... I just don't understand what has been happening... i-it's too confusing.. I don't get it even the slightest bit. That woman from before... who is- no, what is she? She called me a Youkai... and she tried to kill me too..."

"You never listen to what I've been telling you, a million times probably, before, huh?" his other self replied with a grin, "But I already expected this kind of thing would happen. Say... now that we could fight in par, I suppose we could talk freely without worrying about each other's true intention, huh?"

The blond teenager remained silent as he looked at his other self. Should he believe him? He can't really say that he's happy about the fact that he somehow could fight in par with his self-proclaimed other self. But in the other place, he's not regretting the fact what his other self just said. With the two of them being able to fight in par, none of them need to worry about each other.

After a moment of silence, the blond teenager gave a nod, ". . . I suppose so."

"Alright. Now let's get straight to the point. Just like what I've been telling you since the first time we meet each other," his other self said, "You're not a human. Well, not anymore at least." He added with a shrug.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not a human. Isn't it clear enough?"

". . . . . . . so I'm a monster?" the blond teenager said after another moment of silence, gazing down in the process as the memories of the first time he found out about his powers resurfaced inside his mind.

"Not exactly," his other self replied rather carefreely, "More than a human. But less than a monster. Something else, you could say that. But if you want to understand it easier, a suppose 'half-Youkai' would fit just fine. Humanity still flowing within your blood, but at the same time, inhumanity reigning inside it as well."

"Half-Youkai... is it?" the blond teenager repeated, still gazing down.

"You're out of control before because it was the first time your powers reached the surface. The first time it reached your consciousness," his other self continued, rubbing the side of his head with one hand as he let out a somewhat disappointed sigh, "But you managed to defeat me as well not too long ago using that power. It's the prove that you're getting the hang of it bit by bit, isn't it? Can't say that it's good enough, but you're doing quite fine if you ask me."

". . . . why.. why are you telling me all this? You were trying to take over before, right? Why are you helping me now?"

". . . . well... I just noticed that it'd be a pain in the arse if I take your body just like before," his other self replied with a carefree shrug, "It'd be less interesting. 'sides, I'm a part of yourself. The possibility that the two of us getting swallowed by our own power because you haven't master it is still there. I don't want that to happen, so I figured I'd help you... at least until you mastered this power of yours. That moment, I'll give everything I got to take over. Just wait patiently for that time to come, huh?"

(". . . . a part... of myself, huh?") - the blond teenager thought for a moment, before slowly letting a smile to appear upon those lips of his; shifting his gaze into his other self as he asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Name it."

"What's your name?"

The other teenager widened his eyes for a moment at the question before starting to laugh loudly. "I didn't expect it to come this early!" he said between his laughs, "But it's not like I'm complaining about it! Alright, now listen carefully. My name is..."

. . .

**Edge of Silence II : Reunion**

The blond teenager opened his eyes in sheer surprise; panting several times before instinctively shifting himself into sitting position - resulting to him wincing in the process. Clenching his teeth in pain as he put one hand to the side of his stomach, the blond teenager let out a small sigh as he placed a hand to the side of his head, ("His name... I can't believe it... why is someone like him.. it's supposed to be a legend.. his name-")

"You're already awake?" said a feminine voice as a figure with dark brown eyes and very long black hair wearing a pink shirt with many white bows, and a long, dark burgundy skirt decorated in yellow with bamboo and flower shapes could be seen standing near the door of the room, "I didn't expect you to be awake this early. Well, you better thank Eirin for the elixir she made to save you yesterday."

"Ei.. rin?"

"Eirin~" the girl called, turning her head to the side, to the hall placed outside of the room, "Eirin~ Our guest's already awake~"

("Guest?") - the blond teenager thought, taking the time to examine his surroundings, ("Now to come and think of it... I just realized that I'm not in the forest anymore...")

A moment of silence ran between them. The dark-haired girl let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, "Well, she might be outside the Eientei at the moment. But you can always meet her once she's back." And she turned around, probably thinking of letting the blond teenager having his alone time for the moment.

"Ma-May I ask something?" the blond teenager said rather hastily upon noticing what she's going to do, still panting a bit, "Whe-Where am I? A-And who are you?"

The dark-haired girl's movements came to a stop. ". . . . you're inside my house, Eientei," she said slowly to answer his first question, only to turn around to look at him with a smile upon her lips as she answered her second question, "And you forgot about me already? How long has it been? Don't you remember that you used to play with me when I was little?"

"If you're really unable to remember, then please allow me to introduce myself once again," she said with a giggle, "I'm now the former Princess of the Moon, Kaguya Houraisan. It's a pleasure to meet you again... Ō-Ryū."

. . .


	7. 七 Ryū no Monogatari

**Edge of Silence III : Seek the Truth**

"Kaguya Houraisan...?" the blond teenager repeated her name with a questioning look upon his face, arching an eyebrow as he continued, "The moon Princess that descended into the Earth, Princess Kaguya? But... but I thought you're supposed to be a legend."

"It is not wrong to think that I'm a legend, but legend often based from facts, is it not?" the moon Princess replied with a giggle, taking her seat beside the blond teenager after running a hand through her hair, "The fact that I'm here right now is the proof that I'm not merely a legend."

("The more I think about it... the more I'm starting to think that it's starting to make sense...") - the blond teenager thought after hearing her words, gazing down towards his feet after a moment, ("Even though she said that legends often came from facts... then he.. his name...")

"Could it be that your memories haven't resurfaced yet, Ō-Ryū?" the moon Princess asked, resulting to the blond teenager looking at her with surprise reigning over his facial expression. "That's understandable," the moon Princess added after a moment of silence between them, letting out a sigh in the process before letting a small smile lingering upon her lips, "It'd definitely take some time until you gain all of your memories back."

"Wha-What are you talking about? My... my memories?" the blond teenager replied with widened eyes, "I am me... I.. I don't understand what you're talking about... there's nothing that I forget..."

("It can't be...") - the blond teenager thought, ("She know more about myself than I do? Not to mention that she mentioned about I used to play with her when she was little... the legend of Princess Kaguya happened thousands of years from the present time... j-just how old is- no... how did I even manage to play with her when she was little? I-I don't understand it... I can't understand it... I..")

The moon Princess said nothing after hearing his reply. Instead, she chose to remain silent as she examine his reaction after hearing her words. That small smile of hers didn't leave her lips as she break the silence by saying: "Your name."

"H-Huh?"

"Your name," she repeated, running a hand through her hair as she added: "Tell me your name."

". . . . . . . Ryūji," he replied after a moment of hesitation, gazing away as he continued, "Ryūji... Honjō."

And the moon Princess simply smiled.

. . .

**Hush**

"I didn't expect this kind of sudden visit..."

"Well, I actually made a sudden decision to visit as well."

While the female simply giggled, the dark-haired male can't help but exhaling an uneasy sigh as he ran a hand to the back of his head. "It's been a while since the last time we met each other," he said as he gaze at the female in front of him, "How long has it been... the Border of Phantasm, Yukari Yakumo?"

"A few years, I suppose," Yukari replied, moving the fan placed upon one of her hands to cover her mouth, "It's always delightful to see you even though now you're already a few years older than the last time, Shun-chan."

"It's Shunsui," the dark-haired male replied as he poured the tea to the cup in front of the female, "It's quite rare to have one of the Great Sage of Gensokyo visiting the human world. Not to mention appearing in my house so suddenly like this-"

"There's no need to worry so much. And there's no need to be so serious as well. None of us enjoy being tense, is it not? Just sit back and relax," Yukari replied before taking a sip of the tea that Shunsui poured for her, "I am here because I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it about?"

"It's about Gensokyo..." she replied with a somewhat mysterious tone, ". . . . . . . . and your brother."

"Ryūji...?"

"Ahh... so he is your brother..." Yukari continued with a delighted giggle, taking another sip from her tea as if ignoring Shunsui's reaction after he heard about his brother, "I have a bit qualm at first but now that you already confirmed it, I'm completely sure now that he's your brother. He's not so different from you when you're around that age, if you ask me. Don't you know that-"

"Ryūji is in Gensokyo? H-He managed to get through the Hakurei Border?" Shunsui said with a stressed tone upon his voice, feeling every inch of his body turning numb as he gazed down and placed a hand upon his forehead, "Ju-Just how did he manage to get through the Hakurei Border? Did he break through it? It's impossible... the two of us know that the Hakurei Border is supposed to be strong enough to-"

"There's always an exception, is it not? Unlike the two of us, who are able to go to and from Gensokyo as we please, there's always an exception for certain people," Yukari replied, "As always, humans are intriguing beings. Their thinking never came to a stop and with that, they're aiming to overcome the world itself. Because of that, after erecting the Hakurei Border, the ancestors of that Shrine Maiden made a special condition to get to Gensokyo using the Hakurei Border..."

". . . . . . one who does not think..." Shunsui said slowly, ". . . . can get through the Hakurei Border that surrounds Gensokyo."

. . .


	8. 八 Ryū no Monogatari

**Somebody Must Play the Bad Parts of This World**

"Kourin~ Have you finished fixing my Mini-Hakero?" the blond Sorceress asked as she entered the Kourindou, carrying a large plastic bag upon one of her hands, "I left it here two days ago, right? Have you finished fixing it?"

"Yes, I even intensified it's power even more," the owner of Kourindou, Rinnosuke Morichika answered; standing up from his seat and showing the Mini-Hakero that's placed upon the palm of his hand, "With it's power intensified, I think you should have no problem channeling more magic into it without worrying that it might broke."

"Sorry for the usual, ze," the Sorceress replied, letting a grin decorate his lips as she placed the plastic bag she was carrying beside the pile of scrap metal upon one side of Kourindou, "Then I'll leave this here. To come and think of it, is it really okay having scrap metal as a bargaining point?"

"There's no need to worry about it. I'm looking forward for what I might found there."

"Well, you do have a lot of scrap metal, aren't you, ze?"

Rinnosuke sweat dropped, quickly clearing his throat as he replied: "Don't you see these scrap of metal as a large amount of metal?"

"Not at all."

"Oh? Is that so?" Rinnosuke replied with a sigh, letting a weak smile making its way to his lips as he followed the blond Sorceress, now heading out of the Kourindou, "You've been experimenting with magic a lot, aren't you? With those amount of scrap metal in your place and your experimentation with magic, I suppose it should be enough to fix the Mini-Hakero by yourself, right?"

"It's troublesome. And besides, I know you can do it better than me, ze," the blond Sorceress replied rather carefully, giggling as she took a hold of the broom that was laying idly upon the small yard of Kourindou, "It's troubling to have it broken. So I'm counting on you when its broken again."

Letting out a sigh at the sight of the blond Sorceress who simply flew away after her last sentence, Rinnosuke gave a shrug before heading back into Kourindou; quickly having the sight of his eyes planted into the plastic bag that the blond Sorceress brought for him. Getting into one of his knees, he then start rummaging the insides of the plastic bag, "Hmm... today's treasure is-"

Widening his eyes in surprise at the sight of the item that he pulled out with one hand, Rinnosuke can't help but smirk. "This is... the item that Amaterasu granted to Ninigi. One of the God's Vessel..." he said, examining the item upon his hand carefully before letting the smirk upon his lips grew even wider, "The Mirror of Yata! My thanks, your help, now I have collected all three of the God's Vessel."

. . .

**Dark Side of the Universe**

"Oh? Rinnosuke-san?" the Shrine Maiden greeted the guest who just arrived in front of the Hakurei Shrine with a smile, "How can I help you? It's quite weird to have Rinnosuke-san here, actually. Will it rain?"

"Oh, morning, Reimu," Rinnosuke replied the greeting given by the Shrine Maiden with a smile, giving a nonchalant wave of hand as well in the process, "And regarding the rain. Yes, I think it will rain. Rain of blood, that is."

"Rain of blood? What do you mean, Rinnosuke-sa-"

The words escaping the Shrine Maiden's lips came into a stop almost instantly the moment she stepped backward to avoid a sudden attack coming from the owner of Kourindou. Landing safely upon the ground a few steps back, the Shrine Maiden can't help but frowning, "Rinnosuke-san! What's this all of the sudden?"

"You're quite good at dodging, aren't you, Reimu?" he replied with a sigh, the same enigmatic smile still placed upon his lips; only vanishing as he sliced the air with the sword that appeared out of nowhere upon his right hand, followed by a shield upon his other hand and a necklace that's placed around his neck, 「 God's Vessel: Sword of Kusanagi 」

The Shrine Maiden quickly jumped to the side, just in time to avoid the attack that was sent by the owner of Kourindou. ("Did I do something to set him off like that?") - the Shrine Maiden thought for a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully before moving to the side to avoid another attack, ("To come and think of it, both Marisa and I have already known him for quite a long time. There's plenty that I know of...")

"How about this?"

"Whoa!" the Shrine Maiden ducked, avoiding the attack that should be enough to chop her head off in one go; extending one of her hands towards Rinnosuke before shouting: 「 Dream Sign: Evil Sealing Circle 」

There was the sound of a small explosion and the Shrine Maiden placed a hand to her cheek, ". . . . is he alright? I hope I didn't overdo it..."

"Well, that's the type of performance I was expecting," came the voice from beyond the smoke and as the smoke become lesser, the figure of Morichika Rinnosuke still could be seen standing in the entrance of the Hakurei Shrine, "How about this then?" Placing a hand to the necklace around his neck, Rinnosuke chanted: 「 God's Vessel: Yasakani's Magatama 」

Several energy-based Magatama flew from the necklace, acting just like a homing missile would towards the Shrine Maiden; resulting to the later dodging every now and then to avoid the incoming attack from the Magatama. Landing not so far from the entrance to the Shrine, the Shrine Maiden can't help but widening her eyes in surprise as Rinnosuke somehow already standing behind her; causing her to wince in pain as he managed to slash her hand with the Sword of Kusanagi.

("That was all just a warning... but I couldn't defend against it...?")

"It's more amazing than what I have imagined," Rinnosuke said as he pulled back; chanting a spell to call the rest of the Magatama which were targeting Reimu previously, "The power is building inside of my body..."

"Those weapons... wait, I know those weapons you're using..." the Shrine Maiden said after taking a better look at the weapons held by the owner of Kourindou, "They're not just mere weapons. They're-"

"Of course they're not. They're the God's Vessel," Rinnosuke replied with a smirk, lowering his body a bit before taking an offensive stance, "You do know these three, aren't you? The Sword of Kusanagi, the Mirror of Yata, and the Jewel of Yasakani?"

"The Imperial Regalia," the Shrine Maiden widened her eyes in surprise, quickly moving back as the owner of Kourindou charged forward, "Why would you have them...?"

"That is a trade secret."

"What is your goal?" the Shrine Maiden shouted, desperately avoiding the continous attacks coming from the God's Vessels, clenching her teeth as she added: "If I can't question why those things are in your disposal, then at least let me ask why you came to me to practice using them when there's Yukari?"

"From the very start, I only have one goal. It was testing out these Vessel's abilities," Rinnosuke replied, sending a shockwave that knocked the Shrine Maiden into the ground, "And one other thing, I will defeat you here and obtain the Hakurei Shrine. That way, I would be able to manipulate the Border as I please." Pointing the shield on his left hand towards the Shrine Maiden, he chanted: 「 God's Vessel: Mirror of Yata 」

"What are you saying...?" the Shrine Maiden said as she instantly summoned a force field to protect her from the attack, "What a pathetic joke.."

"It's not a joke," he replied, instantly appearing behind the Shrine Maiden using the power of the God's Vessel, hitting the Shrine Maiden to the front as he spoke: "I will become the King of Gensokyo."

The Shrine Maiden can't help but wincing when she fell to the ground after the attack, getting up slowly before turning towards the owner of Kourindou and pointed at him, "Y-You really pissed me off. If you feel that way, I'll be serious with you."

"I finally get to take you when you're serious, huh?"

Extending both hands to the sides, the Shrine Maiden shouted: 「 Divine Spirit: Fantasy Seal 」

And in return, Rinnosuke charged forward and shouted: 「 Respect for the Gods: Yasakani's Magatama , Sword of Kusanagi 」

A large explosion quickly occur after the clash between two attacks, the clash between countless bullets of lights and the combined attacks of the Japanese Imperial Regalia. The two still could be seen standing, but only one of them remained unscathed. The Shrine Maiden could be seen pushing herself to stand straight while the owner of Kourindou remained the same as before.

"You're insane..." the Shrine Maiden panted, "You have certainly been possessed by a great evil.."

"I'm being myself. On my way here, I already tried the power of these God's Vessel to that Tengu Journalist," he replied with a smirk, "But since she can't last as long as you, I figured that I should test it with you directly."

"I don't understand. You love Gensokyo... yet you're doing something like this..." the Shrine Maiden continued, "You want to invite anarchy into Gensokyo?"

"This isn't to invite anarchy into this land that I love. I'm going to rule over all. Don't you understand, Reimu?" Rinnosuke replied with a sigh, "With this absolute power, I will rule over the world. That is what man desires. That is what makes him a man."

". . . . . in that case, I will exterminate this incident, which is you, with all my might."

"In that case, I will overcome all obstacles, such as you, with all my might."

. . .

**Dark Side of the Universe 2 : Over the Edge**

". . . . . who are you?"

"I am you."

"Why did you appear?"

"Because you were wishing. I am here to help you."

"Helping me...? No, you don't understand..."

"No, I understand it very well. It's because we're thinking about the same thing. We speak about the same thing. Your feelings are my feelings. I told you, didn't I? I'm a part of you. I am you."

. . .

The blond teenager opened his eyes in surprise, taking no time to sat up and placing a hand over his forehead. ("What was that about...?") - he thought, before slowly shaking his head to drive the thought away from his mind, ("I don't understand... what is he trying to tell me..?")

The blond teenager gazed around, only to find that he's somewhere unfamiliar to him again. resulting to him letting out a sigh. ("Where am I again...? Oh right... I asked them if I told them that I'll need some fresh air.. right?") - he thought, placing a hand to the side of his head, ("Even so, I got myself somewhere I didn't know again...")

"Huh? It's weird to find someone around this place, ze," a feminine voice caused the blond teenager to stiffen up, resulting to him looking to the side only to find the blond Sorceress standing not so far from him, "You don't look like any Youkai that- Wait, the constant uneasy feeling that I've been getting today.. is it you?"

"N-No, you're wrong, I'm not the one-"

"Speak for yourself! It's coming from you, I can feel it. Even though I might not be as sharp as Reimu, I'm not stupid, you know," she replied, cutting his sentence as she continued, "Well, it seemed that Reimu forgot to took care troublesome Youkai like you, so I'll take her place. You better prepare yourself."

("I need to get this thing clear quickly. Else, I'd be doomed for sure.") - the blond teenager thought, "No, wait, listen to me-"

"There's no need to say anything, ze." the blond Sorceress said, pulling out the Mini-Hakero that's placed inside her Witch hat, pointing it the blond teenager before finally grinning as she channel her magic into the Mini Hakero. "Are you ready? Here goes nothing," she said, before blasting her highly-compressed magic in the form of a large laser towards the blond teenager as she shout: 「 Love Sign: Master Spark 」

Instinctively, the blond teenager extended one of his hand forward, the blood and mass within his hand merging together; resulting to a large, roughly-made black-colored shield made from blood replacing that hand of his. The blond teenager winced as the Master Spark clashed with the shield, resulting to him to clench his teeth as he gave his best to withstand the power of Master Spark.

After around a minute or so, the Master Spark's power start weakening before finally vanishing completely; leaving the blond Sorceress panting upon her spot because of the strain of channeling her magic into the Mini-Hakero. However, she can't help but widening her eyes at the sight of the large shield placed not so far in front of her; which quickly cracked and turned into pieces. The blond teenager himself could be seen standing behind the supposed-to-be-shield, which appeared to be nothing more than his hand now; panting as well.

"Now.. can't you at least... listen to me..?" the blond teenager said before placing a hand to his pounding head, wincing as the sight of his eyes turning blur and seemed to be blending with the darkness, "Just... listen to me..." before finally losing his consciousness and retreated into the Inverted World.

. . .

"Don't you understand? When there is nothing but darkness surrounding you, you have no choice but to succumb."

. . .


	9. 九 Ryū no Monogatari

**Black and White**

"You used the power consciously just now, didn't you?"

"It was instinct...! I wouldn't know what would happen to me if I didn't do tha-"

"Relax! I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to do. Long before humans, no, most creatures, are able to think straightly, everything was based and decided solely by their instincts. No matter what kind of being they are, when they are plunged into the depths of despair, likened to hell, they will hold on into anything that will help them escape. Even if it's nothing more than a thin, barely visible spider's thread, they will surely hold into it."

(". . . . . he's true. That's what happened to me as well.") - the blond teenager thought as he gazed down after hearing the words, actually clenching his fists as well, ("I was desperate. I barely know what I'm supposed to do. I only wished for the power to protect, but I ended up being a demon.")

"I have a question for you."

The blond teenager can't help but widening his eyes in surprise. After all this time, this is probably the first time his other self asked him a question formally like now; but eventually, the blond teenager gazed to the side - seemed too hesitant to look at his other self as he replied: ". . . . what?"

"Do you regret receiving this power?"

The blond teenager is at a loss of words. He doesn't really know what to say. Sure, in one hand he actually regret having this kind of power. He murdered, mutilated, reduced a group of people into nothing but a pile of minced meats. But on one hand, without this power, he surely wouldn't survive that day. Not only him, but that female as well. They wouldn't survive for sure. Gazing away in pain, the blond teenager clenched his fists, "I. . ."

"Great power takes great responsibility," his other self said, almost instantly cutting the blond teenager's words in the process, "Without the proper mindset and the goal up ahead, you would be lost. It's like you're having a map, but you have no destination to reach."

("I know. I'm well aware about that. But...")

"Being a King, means that you'll have to watch over everything that was put under your jurisdiction. I believe you have retrieved most of my memories as you explore more about yourself and what you're capable of. Because of that, you have to realize that there are times, where sacrifice is needed."

"Don't you kidding me..." the blond teenager replied as he clenched his teeth, "You said that being a King means that I have to watch over everything that was put under my jurisdiction, isn't it? And you now you're saying that just to maintain everything back into its peaceful condition, I must ready to sacrifice anything? Then let me tell you this, if becoming a King means that I have to sacrifice those who are dear to me, I'd choose not becoming a King at all...!"

. . .

"It seemed that you're already awake," said a familiar voice as the blond teenager blinked both of his eyes several times at the light, taking a moment before sitting up and placing a hand to the side of his head; feeling a sudden dizziness overcoming him and resulting to a wince as the voice continued, "You should be grateful that you were saved by a good Witch. She said that she found you in the Forest of Magic and asked Mokou to escort you back here while you're still unconscious."

("Witch? Must be the one from before...") - he thought as he tried to gather the remains of his consciousness together before shaking his head lightly to awake himself fully, ("And a good one? I wouldn't say that to someone who tried to blast me off just because I'm a part Youka-")

Stopping all of the sudden at the thought, the blond teenager gazed down. ("Right. I'm a part Youkai...") - he thought as he clenched his teeth, ("I... I'm not even a human anymore. Not fully. I'm a part of Youkai. It's not like I'm afraid about me being a Youkai. It's more like... I'm afraid of losing myself. The thought of I'm not a human anymore starting to overwhelm me. The fear that I might lose myself like what happened before is too much to bear. I'm just-")

"Is there something wrong, Ō-Ryū?"

The blond teenager snapped out of the thought almost instantly at the voice. He was drown in the terrifying thought for a few seconds that he completely forgot about his surroundings; about the fact that the Princess of the Moon sitting right beside him. Placing a hand upon her cheek in a worried manner, the Princess of the Moon repeated her question, "Are you alright, Ō-Ryū?"

". . . . Kaguya-hime, calling me by my name is fine," he replied after a moment of hesitation; the thought of him appearing in the middle of a completely unfamiliar place and meeting unexpected people starting to get him and of course, he hardly able to maintain his calm while the fear of losing himself trying to overcome him as well, "You can call me Ryūji, if you like. I won't mind."

The Princess of the Moon seemed to be hesitating for a moment but the silence between the two of them is soon to be broken as another figure steeped into the room. Dark gray eyes stared at the blond teenager before turning soft at the sight of the Princess of the Moon; the blond teenager watched in silence as the figure dressed in red and blue, her clothes covered with constellation patterns. The hat upon her head makes her look even more similar to a nurse. Another moment of silence passed and she opened her mouth, "I see that you're already awake, Ō-Ryū."

(". . . she appeared in my memory too. Not exactly my memory but... I suppose I could say that it's mine now.") - he thought as he gave a slow nod as a response, ("The Hourai Pharmacist, known as the Mind of God who posses the genius-level intelligence and capable of creating any type of medicines... Eirin Yagokoro.")

"Please do forgive my informality, but the fact that you appear differently ever since the last time you helped the Lunarians establishing the Lunar Capital made me a little uneasy," Eirin continued, "But nevertheless, I do hope that Eientei is enough to provide you with anything that you might need. You can ask either myself or Reisen to get anything that you might need but you can't found within the borders of Eientei."

("The Hourai Pharmacist, with the genius-level intelligence and famous with her reputation as the Mind of God...") - he thought, ("She's the only one I can ask about this..."). A moment of silence, the blond teenager then gazed up at Eirin, "I need your help with something."

"If there's anything that I could help you with," Eirin replied, "I'd be more than glad to help, Ō-Ryū."

". . . . I need you to help me mastering my power."

. . .

**Hope is the Denial of Reality**

"It's true. Reimu and Aya has been taken captive by Morichika Rinnosuke," the Seven-colored Puppeteer said as she put Shanghai and Hourai into her lap, gazing at the blond Sorceress who's sitting upon the chair at the opposite said of the table as she continued, "The Mountain Telegnosis immediately informed every single individual she thought capable of saving those two, but so far, no one has responded to her. It seemed that it will really took a time to prepare a fitting strategy against someone who posses the Imperial Regalia."

("Wait, one of the Imperial Regalia is the Sword of Kusanagi, isn't it?") - the blond Sorceress thought as she tapped her chin rather thoughtfully despite the fact that she's unable to hide the uneasy expression upon her face, ("Don't tell me that it was the sword that he found inside the pile of metal scraps that I gave to him as the payment for fixing the Mini-Hakkero?")

Noting that the uneasiness finally get the best of her, the blond Sorceress stood up; taking the Witch hat that she put in the hatstand before opening the door and spoke: "I can't take this anymore. I'm going to take Reimu back."

("It's a part of my fault that Kourin managed to get the Sword of Kusanagi, I didn't even know that he already posses the other two Regalias, the Jewel of Yasakani and the Mirror of Yata.") - the blond Sorceress thought as she placed the Witch hat upon the top of her head, ready to go with her broom but coming to a stop the moment the Seven-colored Puppeteer placed a hand to her shoulder.

"It's too hasty if you make your move now. We need to set a proper strategy to overcome the power of the Imperial Regalia," the Seven-colored Puppeteer said as the blond Sorceress turn to face her, "Even if it's known as the Imperial Regalia and were famous for its incredible reputation, those are still objects with flaws. Not perfect. Facing it head on is unwise, so the least I could suggest is finding a way to overcome the power of the Imperial Regalia first. Once we found it, we'll be able to face him without worry burdening our shoulders."

". . . . it's not like you, ze. Who are you and what have you done with Alice?"

"Don't take me so lightly," the Seven-colored Puppeteer turned away with a huff, "If everything that I heard he said were true, I'd say that I prefer the old Gensokyo. I don't need an ambitious King telling me what to do."

"You're right in a way, ze. So, what's your suggestion? Anyone you know able to help us develop a strategy against the Imperial Regalia?"

"I believe there's only one person capable of thinking such a strategy. I visit her from time to time too so I think it shouldn't be hard to find her even at a time like this," the Seven-colored Puppeteer replied, "There's only one person with that level of intellect in Gensokyo, so I believe she'll be the only one able to think of such a strategy against the Imperial Regalia."

". . . . . I get the idea now, ze," the blond Sorceress replied with a grin upon her lips, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's make our way to Eientei...!"

. . .

"The world consists of two colors, black and white. Yes and no. Victory and defeat. Reality and illusion. When feeling dissatisfied with something that has been achieved, hope will be created, only in order to deny the reality that has occurred."

. . .


	10. 十 Ryū no Monogatari

**Suppression of Darkness**

"This time you came with a different intention... I could sense it. What are you up to?"

"I came to make you teach me how to properly use this power," the blond teenager as he straightened his body, gazing at his other self as he spoke, "If I'm able to use this power properly, then I shouldn't worry about losing to my primal instincts again."

"Make me teach you? How do you think you're going to make me to do that?"

"Even if you don't want to teach me, then I'm going to force you with violence."

"Look at you, talking all big like that all of the sudden. Just who do you think you are? Who do you think gave that power to you?" all of the sudden, the blond teenager's body was shaken by a huge killing intent coming from the figure standing right in front of him; who simply grinned as he continued, "What's wrong? What are you scared of? You said that you're going to make me teach you, right? I'm so eager to see you try."

("W-What is this? Wha-What is this huge killing intent coming from him? Even from the first few times I fought him, he didn't emit such strong intent like this...") - the blond teenager thought as he widened his eyes in surprise; beads of sweat starting to roll down from his forehead to his nose, some appear upon his cheeks as he forced himself to stand straight at the sight of his other self, ("Does this mean that if I'm not able to defeat him, I'm going to vanish? He'll took over my body and my personality would die completely...?")

"What's wrong? Stop being a chicken and come at me already," his other self said before giving a 'Tsk', extending both hands to the sides and forming an oversized pair of claws made from blood as he charged forward, "If you're not going to do anything... then you're really going to end up dead, you know?"

. . .

"Kaguya-sama, do you think he's going to be able to make it?" asked the Hourai Pharmacist as she turned her head from the unconscious body of the blond teenager in front of her to the former Moon Princess who are standing by the door and gazing blankly at the full moon upon the sky, "The history of the Dragon Kings are even older compared to the history of the Lunarians. I don't know what could possibly happen, but I heard that there are a lot of candidates who died trying to succeed the power of their predecessors."

"Eirin... do you know what fear is?"

"Fear? It's a distressing emotion aroused by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger," the Hourai Pharmacist answered with an arched eyebrow, unable to help but wonder what the former Moon Princess trying to tell her as she continued, "In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it or fight."

"The moment you encounter something and you realize that it's far more superior than yourself, you'll lose all of your abilities to think straight. Be it fear of heights, fear of fights, and of course, fear of death is included as well," the former Moon Princess said as she turned around to face the Hourai Pharmacist, "Your mind will be filled with nothing but one goal, to survive. The current Ō-Ryū wouldn't be able to defeat his predecessors if he's not going to realize this."

"Then are you saying that...?"

"Everything is up to him. The two of us are able to do nothing but to assist him in mastering his power, just like what he requested," the former Moon Princes slowly shook her head as she turned around once again and gazed up blankly at the moon, "If he dies here, then it is his limits. We couldn't expect someone without power to save himself, let alone helping us saving Gensokyo."

. . .

"Come on, get yourself together. Those things you said before? Was all that shit?" the figure said as he gazed at the blond teenager who's bathed in blood and now panting painfully, "I told you to come at me already, right? Are you afraid?"

"I... I'm not afraid...!"

"Here's a hint. Release your power, you know you're able to do more than something like that."

"Shut up...!"

Clenching his teeth, the figure can't help but narrowing his eyes in rage, "Listen to me, brat. I appreciate that you went as far as visiting this Inverted World to visit me and blabbin' that you're going to force me teach you how to properly use that power. I even went as far as doing this even though I originally don't want to. But what I do get now? Just looking at you, it pissed me off, you scaredy-cat!"

("This is bad... my vision.. it's blurring... I know how to slowly heal my wounds using this power... but if it's like this, it won't be able to keep up...") - the blond teenager thought as he slowly narrowed his eyes in order to get a better view at the figure in front of him, ("I can't lose my consciousness now... not like this...")

"Fine, whatever," the figure said after giving a tired sigh, clenching his teeth as he charged forward and shouted, "If you're not going to release that power of yours, then I'm going to make you go through hell and you'll wish that you release your power sooner!"

Widening his eyes in surprise, the blond teenager unable to help but giving his best to avoid the countless attacks coming from his other self; trying to keep up with him so badly as he try to release counter-attacks from time to time.

("Think! Think! How's he able to stay sane while letting out that crazy killing intent and using that monstrous power?") the blond teenager thought as he hardly managed to avoid yet another attack from his other self, ("I fought him several times and it's no different than the fact that I'm fighting him right now. I observed him, I've been wondering how to do it like him. I thought that by fighting him, I'll be able to figure something out to help controlling my power! I won't let myself lose to my primal instincts, I won't-")

His train of thought came to a stop when he felt razor sharp claws piercing through his body, resulting to him widening his eyes in surprise for a moment before a scream of pain emitted from the back of his throat; echoing through both the Inverted World and the halls of Eintei.

. . .

**Hole In My Heart II : The Primal Fear**

"Nii-sama, are you sure that Ryuu-nii is alright?" asked the girl as she gazed up at the hand of her older brother that's linked with her hand, taking a moment before gazing up at him as well, "I'm worried about Ryuu-nii... after getting out from the hospital he's been acting weird... not to mention that he ran away from home as well..."

"To be honest, I don't know about it myself, Ai.. I'm sorry," her older brother replied with an apologetic look as he placed his free hand on top of her head and rubbed it gently, "But you know how he is, right? There must be a reason for him to do something outrageous like this..."

"Then how can you be so calm about it? Don't you think that there's a possibility that he's been kidnapped?" Ai replied with a rather distressed tone, tears starting to swell up upon the corner of her eyes and it resulted to her older brother giving a small sigh and rubbed the tears away, "And who was that friend of yours anyway? How could she told us that she met Ryuu-nii when she's not even sure of where he is right now?"

"Yukari Yakumo... she's an old friend of mine and despite how she looks, she's a sage and quite wise as well," her brother replied with a hesitant tone, gazing away as he scratched his cheek with his free hand, "She usually know more than what she revealed to the other people and because of that, for now we have no other option than to trust her."

("Even though Ai has calmed down after knowing the fact that Yukari transported us to the Human Village in Gensokyo... I can't help but feeling worried because of the fact now that she's accompanying me searching for Ryuuji through the Human Village...") - Shunsui thought, ("It's weird... after he ran away, I can't even trace the slightest bit of his aura. Ryuuji... just where are you...?")

. . .

"What was that scream just now?" the blond Sorceress said as she stopped her steps, gazing her head from the left then to the right for a few times to examine her surroundings, "What do you think that scream was, Alice?"

"Obviously, it didn't come from something like wild animals and it was a male's voice," the Seven-colored Puppeteer replied thoughtfully as she tapped her chin, "It could be a human, but knowing that we are within the Bamboo Forest of the Lost right now... it could be a kind of distraction to lure as away from our objective."

"It doesn't sound like Kourin, I can tell," the blond Sorceress replied in return as she scratched the side of her head, arching an eyebrow as well in the process, "Do you think that it possibly came from Eientei itself?"

"Who on Eientei could make that kind of voice, Mari-" the voice of the Seven-colored Puppeteer came to a stop at the sight of a rabbit female dressed in a private high school uniform; about to say something to the rabbit female before a huge killing intent suddenly flew through the area they're in before vanishing as if it's not there from the start.

("Wha-What was that all about..? It's similar but not the same... like the one I felt from the boy I met before..") - the blond Sorceress thought as she blinked, barely able to feel beads of sweat rolling down through her cheek as she tried to stop her body from trembling, ("But this kind of killing intent... is he even human? It's as if I'm going to be killed if I try to take even a step forward...! Until now... I've never been as afraid as this...!")

. . .

"Fear, it's something unimaginable. No matter who you are, no matter what you are, when you encounter 'something' far too great for you, you will be overwhelmed by fear of that 'something'. Even though that 'something' is right in front of you, you wouldn't be able to see it. Your mind prevented you from doing it. Even if you tried hard enough until you're able to see it, you'll eventually lose your ability to recognize it. Your mind will be filled with nothing but two things, to flee or to fight. That is what you call fear."

. . .


End file.
